New data shows gun violence spiking in 2021

Gun violence is spiking across the United States, and new data suggests the year is on pace to be one of the deadliest on record. 

The nation already has recorded 14,723 homicides and other fatal shootings so far in 2021, according to new data compiled and released by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). 

That compares to 15,454 gun-related fatalities recorded by the GVA in 2019. The group already recorded a jump in fatalities last year to more than 19,000 in 2020, a jump of 26 percent. 

The GVA also reports that mass shooting events are taking place more commonly, with 510 mass shootings being reported since January and 41 mass shootings reported in the first 19 days of September alone. 

A mass shooting is defined by the organization as four or more people killed or wounded by gunfire. The shooter is excluded from this count.

Other data also points to a spike in gun violence and more specifically a jump in mass shootings. 

In 2019, about 1.14 mass shootings occurred per day, while in 2020 the numbers rose to 1.67 mass shootings per day. Data from the group this year projects a rate of 1.92 mass shootings on a daily basis. 

CNN further calculates a 9 percent increase in fatalities from gun violence between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15 of 2021 in comparison to the same time frame in 2020.

“We had never logged a month of 60+ mass shootings prior to 2020,” the organization wrote on Twitter. “It happened five times last year (May-September), and now four times in 2021. September is on pace to do the same.” 

The spike in mass shootings and gun violence in general has done little to move Congress on the issue. No significant gun reform legislation has been taken up by Congress this year.